Riverside Teen Was Told He'd Never Walk — But Now He's Walking On Air
RIVERSIDE (CBSLA) — For someone who was once told he would never walk, Josiah Sarmiento is flying high.
He's been the Fifth Coach of his high school team's football team but recently expressed a desire to make a play on the field.
And as CBS2/KCAL9's Nicole Comstock reports, it was quite literally the most valuable and invaluable play of the game.
Number 18 is usually on the sidelines. But when he took the ball across the goal line it was more than an inspiration for those on the field and off.
Usually, he's the one doing the inspiring with his coaching skills.
"I hype 'em up," he says of his role with the Warriors.
Look out Vince Lombardi.
"I keep 'em focused what we need to do between the lines," Sarmiento says, matter-of-fact.
Translation — Josiah also gets to boss twin brother Isaiah around, he's a running back on the team.
And who wants to be bossed around by a sibling?
"I'm like bro, calm down," says Isaiah, with a chuckle.
Isaiah says his brother is even tougher than the team's varsity coaches — more than anything, for what he brings to the field.
"Defeating obstacles, destroying them. He got really tough after that," says Isaiah.
Josiah was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and his mother was told he would never walk.
But Thursday he walked right into the end zone. He made his first touchdown as a member of the team.
"I didn't get scared about it," says Josiah.
He told Comstock he just focused.
"Were you excited though?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said almost immediately.
There was no time to be nervous what with his brother and family all there to watch.
"I was just crying for him all day yesterday," says the proud Isaiah. "It was like he got to do what he wanted to do."
Josiah's mother is used to seeing her children do that. As for Josiah and the touchdown, "He doesn't let anything stop him."
Sarah Sarmiento was very proud of that moment.
"It was so emotional," she says, "Coach Hammond had been talking to me about it."
She wants to thank the coach for making the moment happen.
"It was magical," says Eric Hammond.
Coach Hammond insists, though, he only played a very small role in making the magic happen.
His young coach and player doesn't want any special treatment.
"He just wants every opportunity to be earned," says the coach, "so I though who better to get the opportunity than Josiah?"
